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Handfasting Ritual
A beautiful ritual for the bride before a Wiccan Handfasting, which
is a ceremony similar to marriage in which
two people vow to love and support one another.
Wiccan Handfastings are not considered
as being quite so "set in stone" as is marriage;
if the couple becomes unhappy,
they may part ways without guilt.
Invocation of the Charms,
or
An Invocation for a Bride on Handfasting Day
I bathe thy palms
In showers of wine,
In the lustral fire,
In the five elements,
In the juice of the rasps,
In the milk of honey,
And I place the nine pure charms
In thy fair fond face:
The charm of form
The charm of voice
The charm of fortune
The charm of goodness
The charm of wisdom
The charm of generosity
The charm of choice maidenliness
The charm of beauty
The charm of fair speech.
Dark is yonder city,
Dark are those therein,
Thou art the brown swan
Going in among them.
Their hearts are under your control,
Their tongues are beneath thy sole,
Nor will they ever utter a word
To give thee offence.
A shade art thou in the heat
A shelter art thou in the cold,
Eyes art thou to the blind,
A staff art thou to the pilgrim,
An island art thou at sea
A fortress art thou on land,
A well art thou in the desert,
Health art thou to the ailing.
Thine is the skill of the Faery Women,
Thine is the virtue of Brigit the calm,
Thine is the faith of Danu the mild,
Thine is the tact of the women of Kildare,
Thine is the beauty of Emir the fair,
Thine is the tenderness of Dierdre the delightful,
Thine is the courage of Maebh the strong,
Thine is the charm of Binne-bheul.
Thou art the joy of all joyous things,
Thou art the light of the beam of the Moon,
Thou art the door of hospitality,
Thou art the surpassing star of guidance,
Thou art the step of the mare on the plain,
Thou art the grace of the swan swimming,
Thou art the lovliness of all lovely desires.
The lovely likeness of the Lady
Is in thy fair face,
The lovliest likeness that
Ever was in the Three Worlds.
The best hour of the day be thine,
The best day of the month be thine,
The best month of the year be thine,
The best year of a lifetime be thine.
Ogma has come and Midir has come,
Lir has come and Manaanaan has come,
Morigan and Tailtu have come,
The Dagda, all-beneficient has come,
Angus, the beauteousness of youth has come,
Find the seer of the de Danaan has come
Lugh the prince of the valient has come,
And Nuada the chief of the hosts has come,
And the Goddess of all has come,
And Her spirit of guidance has come,
And Her consort, the Horned One, has come,
To bestow on thee their affection and their love
To bestow on thee their affection and their love.
Sources:
from A Pagan ‘Carmina Gadelica’ by Mike Nichols
found on website http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/carm1.html
Many thanks be to Mike Nichols for presenting this invocation, which any bride in the Three Worlds would dearly love to have given to her. Blessed be!
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